


In the Serpent's Nest

by Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Self-Harm, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 02:50:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19242322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities
Summary: Jughead Jones ruled the Serpents with his best friend and soulmate, Betty Cooper. The two need a way to free the streets of Hiram Lodge and his Fizzle Rock. What's better than getting even with the man than by taking his daughter? Bughead. I do not own the comics or show.





	1. Chapter 1

Jughead Jones. Leader of the Southside Serpents. Son of FP Jones. Cutthroat member of society. He wasn't the guy who you would bring home to meet your mother and he was perfectly fine with that. Enter Elizabeth Cooper, his best friend since childhood. The northside girl-next-door turned southside queen. Everything he did; every decision he made, came with him seeking her advice about it. And, they were impossibly close. Where one went, the other was sure to follow.

As Jughead was mulling this over, he felt eyes on him and glanced up, spotting Archie grinning at him. Archie Andrews had been his righthand man ever since he took over the Serpents when FP retired. Knowing exactly what Archie was thinking, Jughead rolled his eyes, smirking as he flipped him the bird. Then, Betty walked in and the meeting was called to order as soon as she took her place next to Jughead at the top of the table.

Looking around to make sure everyone was there, Jughead nodded his head. "Alright, Serpents. Some of you know why we're here and some of you do not. Let me clarify a few things for those who do not. Hiram Lodge is back in the drug selling business and is filling the streets with Fizzle Rocks."

He noticed Betty stiffen considerably out of his peripheral and nodded his head. "He's got his goon squad sweeping the streets and they're selling as they go along."

"Dammit," Betty muttered, closing her eyes. Jughead knew that she wanted Hiram Lodge off the streets as badly as Jughead. The man had been causing mayhem for years now. In fact, there was a point in Betty's life when her mother, whom Jughead hated with a passion, had decided she had enough of her daughter and shipped her off to Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Upon being one of them many victims there, they had drugged Betty while Jughead and Archie were working on a way to get her out. Archie had sworn he had never seen Jughead so mad and Jughead had sworn he had never wanted to kill so many people for the injustices brought against his best friend.

"Hey, we're going to get the streets clean," Jughead said, eyes focused on her. He watched as she nodded, steely expression locking in place. She was in fight mood and he couldn't be prouder. He smiled slightly at her before going back to the meeting. "We need to hit Lodge where it hurts."

"And, where is that?" Archie asked.

Jughead smirked. "He has a daughter I'm certain he'd hate to see anything happen to."

Archie smirked in turn. "What are you suggesting?"

"I think you know what he is suggesting, Arch," Betty piped up, own smirk toying at her lips. "Hiram likes taking the innocence of people on the streets; why shouldn't we take something that's valuable to him?"

"Cousin, I couldn't agree more," Cheryl spoke up just then, eyes alight with energy. Cheryl Blossom (now, Topaz), joined the Serpents when she was sixteen. Toni had found her outside the Whyte Wyrm, hesitant about coming inside. But, she had recognized the fear in her eyes and led her inside and to where Jughead had been in the back. A few sentences about an abusive father was all he needed to hear to be willing to let the vivacious redhead join. Five years later, and she was one of the best assets he had in the Serpents.

Toni Topaz, Cheryl's wife, nodded her head. "We need to sweat out Hiram, but we're not going to hurt the lodge girl, are we?"

It was Betty who answered. "Absolutely not. We're not trying to scare her any more than we already are by taking her."

Jughead followed up that statement with a firm and empathetic nod. "We're not known for being ruthless monsters."

"Well, not all of us," Sweet Pea said slyly, eyes on their leader.

"Can it, Pea," Jughead rolled his eyes.

"Back to the issue at hand," Betty interrupted them, shaking her head at them.

Jughead nodded. "Right, Lodge. We'll need to be stealthy in our take down of Hiram. I want the mission to take place at night, and I want it to be the main seven that usually runs the take downs."

He looked at each of the group he was referring to and then the rest of the Serpents, who all took the hint and left the meeting room. When it was just the seven of them, Jughead looked around at the table.

"Betty, Toni, and Cheryl; I'm going to need the three of you waiting in the van. We need the Lodge girl to see people who look safe," he stated, and the three of them nodded. "Arch, I want you in the room with me; Pea, you're driving the van, and Fangs, you're keeping an eye out for Hiram or any of his security. We all good on the plan?"

After a chorus of nods, Jughead dismissed them and everyone went off to do their own things. Everyone except Betty, who hung back. She made her way towards Jughead when there were no other Serpents in the room.

"You trust this plan to not fail?" Betty asked quietly, and Jughead nodded.

"Unconditionally," he replied, and she smiled.

"I trust you," she said.

"And, you have no idea how much that means to me, Betts," he said earnestly.

"I think I might," she replied, soft smile still adorning her face.

Jughead would never admit it out loud, least of all to Betty, but he often viewed her as his soulmate. They had known each other since they were practically born and they had shared every secret with one another. He knew of her darkness that she buried, and she knew of his fears of not being a good leader. But. But, he still had to watch her go on dates where he wasn't the man with her. He still had to watch her come home disappointed and angry from another lackluster date. He still even had to go as far as breaking one guy's kneecaps for trying to force his best friend into a position she didn't want to be in.

She had come back with a ripped dress and there was a fire ignited in his belly. After convincing her to tell him who did that to her, he recruited Archie, Pea, and Fangs to stalk down the man. Not much was said between catching up to him and breaking both of his kneecaps with a tire iron. He did remember saying that if the man even dared to think about coming near Betty, he would put a bullet in his skull. She hadn't had any problems since then.

"Where'd you go?" Betty queried, and Jughead shook his head.

"Nowhere," he promised. "We need to get ready to finalize the plans."

She nodded. "When do we leave?"

"Tonight, sundown," he replied.

XXX

When the group of seven had reached the Lodge estate, Jughead turned to look at them.

"Remember; Betty, you, Cheryl, and Toni will be waiting here. The girl needs to feel calm. Pea, you stay here with them and make sue no one sees the van. And, Fangs, scout the premises for anyone who looks suspicious, alright?"

The group all nodded their affirmative and Jughead slipped a ski mask on, looking at Archie, who did the same.

"Remember, don't scare the girl," he said, and he nodded.

"Got it, boss," came the reply.

Jughead jumped out of the van, with Archie following. He looked over his shoulder at Betty, who nodded her head and slid the door closed. Then, he and Archie were running into the night, towards the mansion-like estate. Once there, he headed straight to the left, where Jughead had known the girl would be. He looked at Archie, who nodded, and Jughead cut the wires of the alarm on the window. He knew they had an intensive security system but it was easy to navigate.

Once he had the wires cut, he slid the window open and climbed in quietly, helping Archie in after him. A quick look around the room told him that the girl wasn't in the room. Perfect. It gave them ample opportunity to hide. Jughead stood behind the door; Archie taking the closet. It wasn't long before they heard footsteps.

"Alright, daddy," came a feminine voice, and Jughead knew he had to be ready to get behind her.

The footsteps came into the room and a raven-haired girl came into view. Jughead saw the back of her head and quickly, but quietly, moved towards her and wrapped an arm around her stomach and clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle her gasp of surprise.

"Shh," he murmured, eyes taking in her trembling form. She nodded her head, and he slowly removed his hand.

"Please don't hurt me," she whispered, and he knew that she felt the bulge of his gun against his side.

Just then, Archie stepped out of the closet. "What's your name, love?"

"V-Veronica," she whispered, tears building in her eyes.

"I promise you, Veronica, we're not here to hurt you," he assured her. "We're here because we need to send a message to Hiram Lodge."

"My father?" Veronica asked in confusion, and Jughead nodded as he pulled out a zip tie. Archie came and rubbed a firm hand up and down her back when her breathing increased.

"Shh, I promise you, we're not going to hurt you," he murmured. Perhaps she believed him, Jughead thought, because she didn't put up a fight when Jughead tied her wrists together. Then again, perhaps she was just scared.

"Come on, we've got to go," Jughead said, and Archie nodded. He climbed out of the window first and held his arms open so Jughead could place Veronica inside of them. Once Veronica was passed through the window, Jughead climbed out, and slid it shut behind him. Then, they were running towards the van, leaving the estate behind them.

Author's note: Alright. I'm going on a huge deleting spree. I just don't have the desire to finish a lot of my stories. I have an idea for serpent Jughead, Betty, and Archie, so if you like that idea, stick around and find out what happens. Enjoy and feedback lovely, per usual. Also, Wonderland is almost done. I'll finish up that this week. Then down the rabbit hole. And I'm currently deciding on the season four AU.

Thanks! Xxx


	2. Chapter 2

Once Jughead had reached the van, he opened the door for Archie, who carefully set Veronica down, before climbing in after her. Then, following him, Jughead climbed in next, going to where Betty was. He looked at her meaningfully, and she nodded, before making her way towards Veronica on her knees.

"Hello," she murmured, and the raven-haired girl turned her wet eyes onto her, looking impossibly scared. "Shh, love, it's alright."

"What do you want with me?" Veronica whispered, and Betty smiled softly at her.

"Can you tell me your name first, love?" Betty asked gently, and Veronica looked over at Jughead, who smiled encouragingly at her.

"Veronica," she exhaled shakily, and Betty nodded.

"I'm Betty, and you're with the Serpents," she said, and watched as Veronica's brow furrowed.

"The Serpents?" Veronica asked. "As in the gang from the Southside?"

Betty nodded. "That's correct."

"I'm sorry, but what do I have to do with you guys?" Veronica asked lowly, and Jughead wasn't sure if he could still hear a tremor in her voice. He looked at Archie, who spoke up next.

"It's not you that has anything to do with us, but your father," Archie explained gently, and Veronica's eyes narrowed.

"So you're kidnapping me to get him to come beg you for mercy? You have little to no chance of that happening," she laughed bitterly, and Jughead shared a look with Archie.

"Surely, your father will want you back?" Archie asked softly, but Veronica just laughed again; the sound was disdainful and disappointed.

"You clearly overestimate my father," she muttered. Jughead looked at her for a moment, then sighed.

"We don't want to hurt you, Veronica. Our war is not with you," he explained, but she just sat there in simple silence. He knew she was defying him but he wasn't in the mood to make her cower in fear. He had always sworn to himself he would never intentionally frighten a woman. He pulled his pocketknife out of his back pocket and looked at her. "I'm going to cut you free now. Can I trust you to not fight us?"

Veronica studied him, before nodding slowly. "Yes."

He nodded in turn and gently cut the zip tie, loosening her wrists from their prison. He watched as Veronica rubbed at her wrists soothingly, frowning at the red skin there.

"Sorry about the circulation loss," he said quietly, but Veronica shrugged, not deeming that worthy of a reply. He looked at Betty, who sighed.

"Can you tell us anything about your father that will be helpful in bringing him down?" Betty asked, and Veronica rolled her eyes.

"I said the guy wouldn't be begging to get me back, not that I'd help you," she muttered.

"Look, we aren't going to hurt you, we promise. I promise," Archie said earnestly, and Veronica looked at him. Perhaps there was something in the redhead's expression that she saw because she was sighing a moment later.

"I don't know much about my father's business dealings," she warned them.

"Anything you do know will help," Jughead assured her. He glanced up towards the front of the van where Pea and Fangs were, conversing lowly with one another. Next to Cheryl and Toni, they were the only other public couple in the Serpents. They had been together since they were fifteen, making it six years together so far. They knew each other like they knew the backs of their hands. And, would kill for one another.

Veronica nodded slowly. "He does dealings in the Southside. His targets are high school students and people kicked out of their homes."

Jughead remembered the night Alice Cooper kicked Betty out, sending her to the Sisters. Betty hadn't been a Serpent then, just Jughead's best friend that he wanted to keep faraway from his lifestyle. When she got there, Hiram had set his eyes on her and, through the nuns, ended up drugging her with Fizzle Rock. Jughead still remembered the hollowed look in her eyes when the gang, a bunch of seventeen-year-olds at the time, had busted into the home for troubled youth, and freed everyone. It took Betty weeks to come back to who she once was but Jughead was with her every step of the way. She stayed in his trailer with him and his dad, and he helped her heal from her mother's abuse. Then, when she had gained her sense of self again, she told Jughead she wanted into the gang. He initially denied her, not wanting her to have to go through the initiation.

However, with Betty being Betty, she was determined to get what she wanted and with one thing or another, he found himself facing her initiation night. He never would forget her body being beaten by his fellow gang members. But, once she was in, she was in. She worked her way to the top and was the best, next to Jughead. Focusing his attention back on Veronica, he nodded, mouth in a grim line.

"We know who he targets. We need to find a way to stop him," he replied.

"I won't be of much help there," Veronica admitted. "Daddy doesn't listen to anybody, not even me. Which is why it was stupid as hell to kidnap me. He's not going to bow down to the threats of some gang he deems mediocre at best."

The van pulled up the apartments the Serpents had bought out and refurnished. Each one of them had their own in the complex. Jughead looked at Archie, who sighed but nodded his head.

"Veronica, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to blindfold you now until we get you inside," he muttered apologetically. She stiffened considerably but didn't do anymore than that as Archie slipped the blindfold around her eyes. Then, he climbed out of the van and helped ease her to her feet, leading her into the heart of the complex. Jughead waited until all of the other Serpents were out before hopping out himself. He turned to Pea.

"Meet us in the main room when you finish parking," he said, then turned on his heel and followed his gang inside.

XXX

Once inside, Jughead motioned for Archie to take off the blindfold and let Veronica see where she was. Once he did, she wrapped her arms around herself, surveying everything.

"I suppose I have to sleep in a cell of some sort?" Veronica asked quietly, but it was Betty who shook her head.

"Gosh, no. We have a room here for you. We told you: we're not looking to hurt you," Betty replied softly, squeezing the girl's forearm. Veronica stared at them all curiously, and Jughead wondered what she was thinking.

"What?" Archie asked, and Veronica sighed.

"Trust my kidnappers to treat me better in the half hour they've had me than my own father has in my whole life," she muttered.

Jughead nodded. "That's because we're not monsters."

Veronica nodded in turn, falling silent. Betty looked at her for a moment, then Jughead.

"I'll take her to her room," she said, and Jughead nodded.

"Thanks," he murmured in appreciation and soon, the two women left the group and headed up the stairs.

Jughead turned to the rest of his group.

"I don't care how we do it or what it takes, but one way or another, Hiram Lodge is going to pay for all of his sins," he vowed seriously, and they nodded, knowing better than to question his authority. After that, they all slipped off to do their own things, and Jughead made his way towards Archie, who was staring at the stairs that Betty had led Veronica up.

"You think she'll be alright?" Archie asked quietly.

"Veronica?" Jughead replied, and the redhead nodded. "I think she's tough considering she was just kidnapped and knows her father won't bow down to our request to get off the streets."

"Did Betty mean it when she said we wouldn't hurt her?" Archie asked, barely concealed desperation laced in his tone.

Unsure of where his fear came from, Jughead nodded, offering the only solace he could.

"Yes."

Archie sighed, before nodding his head.

"Thank God."

Nothing more was said and Jughead was left to wonder what the hell he was bringing all of them into.

Author's note: Two chapters in one day because why not? Enjoy. Xxx


End file.
